


Doctor Who: The silently words (after the 'Wild Swans' by H. C. Andersen.)

by Blue_Dolphin_in_the_TARDIS_1986



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animal Transformation, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, London, Love, One Shot, Swans, TenRose - Freeform, Twelve-Clara, Wishes, whouffaldi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 15:38:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17347895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Dolphin_in_the_TARDIS_1986/pseuds/Blue_Dolphin_in_the_TARDIS_1986
Summary: ~ Sometimes events happen that can change a lot. What happens when the three brothers of a girl are suddenly turned into swans and why she does not speak, although the man who later gives her a home, would do anything to make her feel well. ~





	Doctor Who: The silently words (after the 'Wild Swans' by H. C. Andersen.)

**Author's Note:**

> Free after the well-known fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen, but with some changes. So here Clara has only three brothers and not eleven, as in the original, and it plays in a modern age. The main story, however, remains the same, though the ending will be slightly different.
> 
> I hope you still enjoy the story a bit.
> 
> Allons-y!

Doctor Who ©by BBC Worldwide 

 

Doctor Who: The silently words (after the 'Wild Swans' by H. C. Andersen.)

London/England/Europe - 2016

In our time and yet in another world, a man lived happily in London with his wife, his three sons and his daughter.

But one day the man lost his wife and fell into mourning. His children also mourned, but life had to continue sometime.

So the father got to know a new woman, but this did not always have good intentions.

Today, that day, was the moment when everything was about to change.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

„Kids, I would like to introduce you to someone.“

Dave Oswald waited until his three sons and daughter entered the living room. His eldest son, James Christopher, looked with suspicious eyes at the strange woman at his father's side, John David, his second son had taken careful position at the door and the youngest, Jeremiah Matthew did not seem to know exactly what this was should mean everything now.

His daughter, Clara Oswin, on the other hand, looked more like a kind of aversion to the new woman at her father's side. She also did not seem pleased that her father just brought a new wife into her life.

„This is Linda, she will be your mother from now on.“

„Not mine“, snorted James, „I'm not going to be dictated to by any stranger who knows nothing about me.“

„You should have a little more respect for older ones, otherwise it could have bad consequences.“

James just grinned. As if he was afraid. He was very good at taking care of himself. His brothers followed him, only Clara stayed behind.

„Father, you can not just bring a woman and then expect us to accept her so easily.“

„Oh, little one“, he shook his head, „you're still young, you do not understand it yet.“

Clara did not want to discuss it, but followed her brothers into her bedroom.

There they sat on their beds and talked about what had just happened. Especially Jeremiah thought. The woman did not feel very good about him.

„Did you see how she looked at me?“ He asked, „as if she had something against me.“  
„You're not the only one“, John rubbed his brown hair a few times, a habit he used to do when he was busy, „Clara, what do you mean? Do we need a replacement mother, or would it be better if we just drove the old woman away?“

She smiled, but no one knew they were being heard. Outside the door, a plan was made to get rid of those four troublemakers forever.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

„What is there to laugh about?“, James asked aloud as he woke up the next morning. His eyes fell on his brothers, but something was different. They had stretched their wings in his direction instead of arms.

„Wait, why are you suddenly swans“, he looked down at himself, „why am I a swan? What happened that night anyway?“

They did not know it. They were still humans last night and now they were sitting here as swans. John suggested they leave the room and see their father and Clara. Maybe they knew something.

But they did not find their father, instead, their new stepmother grinned at them, declaring that she was responsible for it, and they can only return to their human form when their sister shirts them out of nettles she has to pick in the city's cemeteries sews. But during this time she is not allowed to speak a single word, if she does, they will always stay in that form. And since no one could burn that which was caused by the plant, could endure for a long time, she was sure that the three brothers would remain forever swans.

But at the time she did not know Clara, who would later get a nickname that matched her character very much.

And so began the time when three swans regularly made their rounds over the city. One of them had been given a bow tie by his sister, which he wore around his neck, while his brother wore a tie that fluttered loosely in the wind, only the third swan had nothing, but it did not bother him either.

It was important to him that his brothers were well.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Every day she spent several hours in the cemetery, which was near her home to collect nettles. Her hands had long since become used to the numb feeling, the burning, as if it no longer existed.

She was just recovering a large supply when she suddenly felt the hands of another person. She looked up and into the blue eyes she had ever noticed in her life. Even James did not have eyes that were as blue as these.

„Who are you?“, He asked in a harsh yet gentle voice whose Scottish accent was clearly visible, „what are you doing here?“

She just looked at him but did not answer. She had made a promise to remain silent until the shirts were ready for her brothers.

The man got up again, wished her a nice day and then left this place again. The next few days met several times in the same place, but no matter what he tried, she still did not speak a single word.

So he decided to take her home with him. Although he had a lot of money, but lived in simple circumstances, so that a small house, which was more of a bungalow, was sufficient.

The young woman looked awestruck at the building, but then lowered her eyes.  
„Do not worry, I will not hurt you“, he promised, then whistled loudly once.

„You can also call me by my first name.“  
„Yes, but she was a lot better. Rose, would you please take care of her? Unfortunately she does not speak, so I have not heard her name yet.“

Rose looked at the young woman, about her own age. Then she apologized and disappeared for a moment before coming back with a notebook and pen. This pushed her into the other woman's hand.  
„If you can not speak, then you can write it down. What is your name?“

She wrote the name Clara on the paper and then held it up.

„Clara“, he repeated, emphasizing the R in particular, „how long you want to stay, is left to you alone, even if you are not here tomorrow, so I will respect your decision. Rose, would you please prepare one of the guest rooms for her?“

She nodded and pulled the other woman with her. None of them saw what was going on above all this.

„Watch out!“, Jeremiah shouted as John stumbled and nearly sailed down. He just caught himself like that.  
„What's wrong?“  
„Did you see the girl? She's great, right?“

James sighed, rolling his eyes inwardly.  
„John, she's hardly going to deal with a swan.“  
„But I will not be one forever and as soon as I'm human again I will introduce myself to her.“

He made several laps in the air before sinking to the ground and landing on the lake. He had not heard her name, but the conversations had been too quiet, but somehow he would find out.

His brothers followed him.

„You should not draw too much attention on us“, James warned him, „not that one day we end up with a bullet.“

„Do not worry, I'll take care of myself.“

He Rose again and then sought the young girl.

By now the guest room was ready. Rose told her that she could come to her whenever something was. Clara just looked at her with a smile before continuing her work. She was completely absorbed in her task, did not notice how suddenly the man who had brought her here stood in the room and took the sewing kit from her hand.

„You should also take a break in between“, he smiled, but worry was written in his eyes. She took it away from him and just continued her work as if nothing had happened. He himself would love to know what happened, but as long as she did not want to tell him, he could not force her to do anything.

„There will be dinner in an hour. If you want, you're welcome to eat with us.“

She gave him a quick look, then shook her head. In her mind she told him that she could not interrupt her work for a second, outwardly she kept silent. He only sighed before leaving her alone too.

By then, Rose, who was taking care of clearing the beds of weeds, got company from a swan. He even helped her by laying the leaves neatly in a heap. Rose wondered a bit about that, but what did she know about how swans really were.

He put something out of leaves that fell from the trees and when she looked, she could see the shape of a heart.

„You're a weird swan“, she said and he even bowed slightly as if to thank her.

In the evening, when she was slowly getting ready for the night's sleep, he was still with her.

„You can not stay with her all the time.“  
„James, do not look at it all so negatively.“  
„She does not know who you are. No matter how much you like her, you're just a swan to her. What do you think, Jeremiah?“

The youngest looked up, then said that it was not her thing. If John was comfortable with her, no one should talk him out of it. After that he just flew away. James looked questioningly at his brother, but then left it to ask any questions. However, when he wanted to turn to John, this was already gone again.

James just shook his head, which looked a bit strange because of the long neck. Sometimes his brothers were already a mystery to him.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Rose was awakened early the next morning by the swan, who had laid his head on the blanket. Wondering, still half asleep, she looked down.

„How did you come to my room?“  
He looked at her, but whatever he answered, she would not understand it either way. She also had to get up to take care of the breakfast.

The swan followed her into the kitchen and then sat on one of the chairs. With his beak he carried the plates to the right places. Rose wondered more and more. No swan in the world could do that. Maybe he used to be a circus once, which could be the reason he did something like that.

„Ah, I see you are already awake?“, The man who gave her work a year ago entered the kitchen, but stopped when he noticed a swan sitting at the table.

He took the cup which Rose had just filled with tea with his beak and held it in his direction.  
„If I'm to throw him out, I can do it“, Rose suggested, but there the swan was back at the table and pulled out a radiant feather, which he gave to the young woman.

„A strange swan. I'll look after our guest, would you please prepare your specialty.“  
„Naturally.“

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

She had been sewing all night, not closing her eyes and finally getting the first shirt ready. Two were still missing, but the material was at an end and so they had to get new stinging nettles in a cemetery.

„Good Morning.“

She did not look up, but reached for the next stinging nettle and continued her work. He himself went to her and took her hands in his.  
„Why are you doing this, Clara? What is the reason for this activity that you have to end it?“

She pulled her hands away and sewed on. He fixed his eyes on her eyes and wondered what she had experienced doing this.

„Rose made breakfast“, he said, „come on, you do not have any of it when you starve.“

He helped her up, realizing for the first time how small she was. Just to the shoulder she went to him.

Her hands seemed to automatically continue the work as he accompanied her into the kitchen.

Although she noticed that her brother John was sitting at the table, she remained silent. Rose apologized that he was still here, but he only smiled and said it was okay.  
„I think he belongs to her“, he smiled, „besides, he seems to have some intelligence.“

Strangely, he took a seat next to Rose.

„I paid a lot of your debts yesterday.“  
„But, I wanted to pay it from the money I earn from you.“  
„Rose, actually you should not have to pay any of the debts left to you. And if I give you the money first or transfer it straight to those who need it, it remains the same. And you should not have to be here for the rest of your life.“

John was slightly flinched. Rose, his beautiful Rose, what had happened to her? If only he had the opportunity to tell her how much he wanted to stay by her side forever.

He looked at his sister and although she did not stop sewing, her eyes were fixed on the older man. He knew that Clara began to let the man who had given her a home into his heart. Slow, but still so that there was no way back.

When they were done with breakfast, the swan bowed to the people to thank them and then flew away through the open window.

Rose started clearing the dishes while he asked Clara to escort him outside to the garden. She followed him, but she would not interrupt her task now.

„If you want, you can come back every day“, he offered, „I know you'll have to go back to a graveyard soon, but I will not stop you. By now, I understand that what you do is very important to you.“

He gently stroked a strand of hair behind her ear, but before he could do more, he had finally risen. No matter how strong his feelings towards her are, he would not tell her until she was done with her task.

And so the months dragged into the country, the shirts were almost finished and yet she just could not take a break, except when she was sleeping at night.

Again and again she thought during her work to the man she had met a few months ago. She thought about how much she loved him, that she wanted to tell him all this and yet could not.

„I brought you something to eat“, Rose, with the swan still at her side, stepped toward her with a basket. Clara only looked up for a moment, but she refused with a shake of the head.

Rose left the basket and went to her boss. Lately, their relationship had become so solid that they became friends and gradually changed to personal address. Unfortunately, due to the fact that their debts were almost paid off, Rose would not stay here much longer.

„It's a pity I can not stay here any longer.“  
„I did not think you would like to do this job.“  
„It's not about the tasks I'm doing here, but about letting my time here.“

He smiled lightly, „It's a bit weird. Although you and Clara are the same except for a few months, I fell in love with them. Well, now I've really said, I love Clara.“

Rose looked to her and then back to him.  
„No, it's not funny, it's normal. It just shows that you can not choose who you fall in love with.“  
„Yes, that's the way it is. I just hope that someday you will find someone.“

As if on a cue, which no one had really given, the swan with the tie was suddenly with her. Rose had to laugh, he has not left her side in recent months.

„No matter who it is, he has to live by the way a swan belongs to it. Because I do not think I'll get rid of him so easily.“

If only she knew.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

He loved this feeling of freedom. Far above the streets of London to float, only the wind as a companion. Sometimes he met other swans, as well as other different species of birds that did not really notice him.

Was aware that he had once been human. That he already had a desire for some time, where he hoped his siblings would understand him. He would still be her brother.

He ended his flight by landing on the banks of the Thames River. He stayed a bit outside the other water creatures, ate a bit of the water plants and listened to the conversations of the others.

If only people could guess how much they resembled those of humans. It just seemed that one of the swans' backs was swimming away, though her parents kept reminding them to stay with them.

He, on the other hand, would gladly join them, but they would drive him away anyway, if they knew the truth about him.

And so he would tell his siblings as soon as possible about his decision.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

Finally, after months of hard work, she also finished the last shirt. Exhausted, she let the sewing kit fall to the floor and actually wanted nothing more than to go to him and tell him that she could speak, that she just could not do it until she was done with her task. And even now she was not finished yet. Only when her brothers were human again could she explain everything to him.

However, she was so exhausted because she had worked through the last two days, which she immediately fell asleep.

She did not hear anyone pick her up and bring her back to her room. She did not hear the words he whispered in her ear.

The bed felt so free, so unusual, and when she woke up a few hours later, she felt something warm behind her.

That could not be. It was not possible he was with her. Even if she was in love with him, he certainly would not reciprocate her feelings. But when she wanted to free herself from his arms, he pressed her even closer, his face buried in her hair.

„There is not yet time to get up“, he murmured and she could not help but feel good about him.

„I saw that you finished your work, Clara. Do not you want to explain to me now what the reason was.“

She could not. Not as long as her brothers were still swans. He sensed it had something to do with it and would give her the time she needed. He had been waiting for almost a year, a few more days did not matter.

He himself jumped out of bed and said something that they should slowly see at breakfast. Clara only hoped that her brothers were there too.

Well, it should not surprise you that John Rose helped in the kitchen again. Realizing that he really could not wait to be human again, she threw him one of the shirts he picked up so skilfully that it landed right over his long neck.

The next moment we heard how dishes went to break. Rose stared at the man in front of him.  
„You said that the man who would one day be with you must accept a swan by your side. What if the swan and the man would stay with you at the same time?“

She just looked at him. Strangely enough, he wore clothes, a blue suit, and converse shoes, which seemed a bit odd, but still seemed to suit him.

And he was a human.

„Basil, thanks for everything“, she suddenly turned to her boss and now also good friend.  
„Not for that“, he waved, „besides, I sensed that someday that moment would come.“

Peter Basil Smith smiled. No matter what has happened in all the time since he met a young woman in a cemetery here in London, he would not want to miss those months.

The door was suddenly pushed open and one of the swans staggered into the room. Its one wing hung down and blood dripped from its feathers. Immediately, Clara was with him, put on one of his shirts and shortly afterwards James stood before her. The blood was now running down his arm.

„What happened?“, John wanted to know, but James broke down with exhaustion, having had a long flight behind him.

John could just catch him like that. The pulse of the older one went quite slowly, guaranteed the blood loss was very large. James' eyes flickered just as Jeremiah, the only one still in the swan, entered the kitchen as well, Clara escaped the word: „No!“

Hoping to turn her brother back, she threw him a shirt that was left, but it only brushed him as he threw it away.

„I want to stay a swan“, he explained, wondering for a moment why he suddenly spoke the human language again, but then decided that it had no meaning.

„I would still be your brother, but I just like to glide through the air. I like to be a swan. Swans are cool.“

Although his decision, his wish, hurt his siblings a bit, they still suspected that he would be really unhappy if they forced him to return to his human form.

James died, however, before Jeremiah had even given the reason for his wish. The exhaustion and blood loss had been too much for him.

And while John carried his brother's lifeless body outside, followed by Rose and Jeremiah, who will remain a swan forever, Peter Basil Smith and Clara Oswin Oswald faced each other.

„So you can talk?“  
„I always could, but I made a promise to remain silent until I finished my task.“

He suddenly stood in front of her, pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her passionately, putting in all the feelings for her that had developed in the last few months. She was his girl, the woman he never wanted to leave again. No matter what the future may bring, as long as she is with him, he was happy.

„I love you, my Clara, my impossible girl.“

The end.

**Author's Note:**

> Now it would mean "and so they lived happily ever after" and partly that's true. Basil and Clara will one day marry, as well as John and Rose. James will be with them in thought no matter how far away he is now, but especially it will surprise the guests, being a swan with a fine bow tie around his neck.
> 
> We read each other in the next stories and believe me, I'm guaranteed the ideas will not go out so fast, even if they are mostly One Shots.
> 
> Greetings 
> 
> Blue Dolphin


End file.
